WINE CLUB | CHEESE CLUB

This month, we’re headed to the majestic, lush Loire Valley in France. Yes, you should be excited. This lineup is a ridiculously fresh ride through the landscape that crawls along the 600-mile long Loire River. It’s broken up into four main regions: Lower Loire, Middle Loire, Centre Loire, and Upper Loire (the creative juices clearly weren’t flowing at that naming party).

The Loire is often called the “Garden of France” because of its green abundance — grape vineyards, asparagus fields, and fruit orchards line the river. It’s also an official UNESCO World Heritage Site. Though even without all the accolades, the wine is purely delicious and the perfect entry into early spring. We hope you enjoy.

The Halfseas Team

ALL CLUB MEMBERS GET TO ENJOY THESE 3 BOTTLES:

2021 Domaine de la Petite Roche Anjou Blanc

Grape: Chenin Blanc
Region: Anjou, Loire, France
Retail: $20
Pronunciation: “lo-ARE“ “SHEH-nin”

The French Revolution unlocked more than just a fight against the monarchy. In the late 1700s, the average Parisian male started drinking 400 bottles of wine a year. “Whopping” doesn’t do it justice. So it makes sense that in the history books, it’s rare to find a riot where the crowd wasn’t some level of, well, drunk. Some might say wine was the backbone of the French Revolution :) Anyway, it was during this time that the Regnard family started making wine, and they haven’t stopped. The estate is still in the family, and brings us this superbly fresh bottle of Chenin Blanc. And we mean fresh — the grapes are picked first thing in the morning when the sun is just starting to rise, to make sure they’re at their peak.

Drinking & pairing ideas: Think light, not very spicy South Asian dishes like scallops in curry with a citrus and mango salad.

2020 Émile Balland 'En Attendant les Beaux Jours' Val de Loire

Grape: Sauvignon Blanc
Region: Coteaux du Giennois, Loire, France
Retail: $20

The name of this wine roughly translates to “waiting for beautiful days”, a cheeky reference to the spring frost that wiped out half of Émile’s grape buds back in 2016. He’s a resilient winemaker though, and found some other growers who were willing to share their grapes so he could make a blend and stay in business. The grapes in this bottle are little survivors — they’re the grandchildren of those lost grapes that year. We hope you enjoy this special wine.

Drinking & pairing ideas: This would be terribly good with your favorite sushi takeout.

2019 Vignerons de Saumur Rouge 'Les Epinats'

Grape: Cabernet Franc
Region: Saumur, Loire, France
Retail: $20
Pronunciation: “SO-mure”

This wine comes to us from a sweet co-op at the top of a hill in the small town Saint-Cyr-en-Bourg. In 1957, many winemakers in the region were struggling with some tough economic times, so they decided to pool their resources and make wine together. The band is still together and absolutely crushing it (nothing like a good ol’ wine pun, right?) with their delicious juice.

Drinking & pairing ideas: Pepper-crusted pork chops with roasted rosemary potatoes

6-BOTTLE MEMBERS ALSO GET TO ENJOY THESE 3 BOTTLES:

2020 Château La Noë Muscadet Sevre-et-Maine

Grape: Melon de Bourgogne
Region: Sevre-et-Maine, Loire, France
Retail: $18
Pronunciation: “SEV-reh—MEN” “MUSS-kuh-day” “mel-OH-n duh BOOR-go-NYUH”

It’s a fun rarity when an estate exclusively grows one grape, like Domaine de la Noë and the Melon de Bourgogne grape. Picture the level of attention an only child receives from their parents — we really get to see the grape shine. And in case you were wondering (and just to keep it a tad confusing), Muscadet is not related in any way to Muscat, Moscato, or Moscatel.

Drinking & pairing ideas: Chilled seafood (poached shrimp! raw oysters! salmon tartare!) or go big on a seafood tower with all the shellfish you can dream of. Or kick it old school and lay down newspapers for a deliciously messy crab feast with your favorite friends. No bad options here.

2018 Domaine a Deux Pinot Noir

Grapes: Pinot Noir
Region: Touraine, Loire, France
Retail: $20

BFFs François-Xavier Barc and Gérald Vallée bought this winery in 2015. Together, they tend to the vineyards nestled on a steep hillside and make insanely satisfying wine on their charming property.

Drinking & pairing ideas: A cozy night and a big bowl of mushroom soup. Don’t forget the garlic bread to clean your bowl.

2020 Château de Minière Rouge de Minière Bourgueil

Grape: Cabernet Franc
Region: Bourgueil, Loire Valley, France
Retail: $20
Pronunciation: “BOOR-guy”

Women have run this place since 1548, and the castle is so lovely that the French writer Charles Perrault used it as inspiration when he wrote Sleeping Beauty. And you can stay here! The dreamy estate rents out cottages nestled between a sunny heated pool, chicken coops, beehives, and so much greenery. Of course, it comes with lots of wine to enjoy. Open this bottle while you book your flights.

Drinking & pairing ideas: If it’s been a bit since you turned on your grill, here’s a good incentive. We’d recommend drinking this with cheeseburgers and all the trimmings.

Looking for past lineups? We got you.

REMINDERS

• As always, our food suggestions are just starting points. Wine is nostalgic and we’re big fans of making what you like, drinking what you like, and not giving a damn if they “go” together.

• Email us at info@halfseaswine.com to buy more single bottles or a 12-bottle case with special pricing.

• Come see us at Halfseas, your charming little neighborhood wine shop tucked inside Brimmer & Heeltap. Open Wednesday through Sunday 12 - 9pm.

• Wine pairs best with friends. Tell your friends.